In the quiet town of Bradley, Maine, the morning of April 20, 2008, was shattered by a tragic event that claimed the life of 20-year-old Blake Michaud. A female resident of nearby Greenbush, Michaud was at a house in Bradley when the violence erupted. In the early hours of that Sunday, 19-year-old Eric Niles of Alton entered the residence and confronted Michaud and another young woman, 18-year-old Kristin Cates, in a bedroom.
The situation quickly escalated, resulting in Michaud's death.
Following the altercation, Niles abducted Cates, fleeing the scene in a pickup truck he had stolen from his grandfather. The tragic event was later described by authorities as a case of domestic violence. It was revealed that Cates had recently ended a relationship with Niles and had sought and obtained a protection from abuse order against him.
The grim series of events reached its conclusion in Norwalk, Connecticut. As state troopers closed in on the stolen vehicle on Interstate 95, Niles took his own life. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Maine State Police detectives traveled to Connecticut to interview Cates, who was then brought back to Maine by her parents. An autopsy was scheduled to determine the exact cause of Blake Michaud's death. Law enforcement officials subsequently classified the case as a murder-suicide.
